Two innocent and heroic Israeli survivors from the horrific Gaza terrorist group Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023 are coming to LA November 17-21 to launch a new virtual reality education tool, “Survived to Tell – Be the Witness
Ofir Engel and Nimrod Palmach will be meeting with Hollywood celebrities, film producers and members of both the Jewish and non-Jewish community as the immersive education experience gathers global momentum.
Engel, 19, a dual Dutch/Israeli national and hostage who was kidnapped by Hamas from Kibbutz Be’eri and spent 54 days in captivity. He is a captivity survivor who endured abuse and manipulation during his time in captivity and is forever bonded with his girlfriend’s family whom he spent time with whilst in captivity.
Palmach, 40, a brave civilian and IDF reservist who defied his Commander’s orders and drove South and fought for 15 hours, taking out dozens of Hamas terrorists preventing them from going into Kibbutz Alumim, saving over 500 lives.
Engel and Palmach’s trip to LA will include events led by activist, singer, songwriter and dancer Montana Tucker together with activist, model, producer and writer Noa Tishby to name a few at events held at Creative Arts Agency, Holocaust Museum, Temple Israel of Hollywood and engagements at UCLA and University of California Irvine.
The public will bear witness to the terrorist atrocities of October 7 by Hamas through the new virtual reality experience at free experiences open to the public to be held at the Holocaust Museum between 2-7pm on Tuesday 19th November.
During his Los Angeles visit, Engel will mark his 12-month anniversary since he was safely returned back to his homeland, Israel.
The education capabilities of ‘Be The Witness’ are so significant and gathering momentum quickly, with hundreds of thousands of people globally already experiencing VR.
Palmach is CEO of ISRAEL-is, an NGO organization who founded the project. expects that it will assist in combatting the ongoing October 7 denial and the rising anti semitic incidents across the USA which, according to ADL (anti-defamation league) has seen over 200% increase over the past year.
Here are other survivors of Hamas’ terrorist attack who share their stories in “Be The Witness.”
Millet Ben Haim , 28, a young woman who bravely hid in the bushes after escaping a barrage of terrorists who were chasing her while she was escaping the Nova Peace Festival. After hiding in the bushes for hours she was rescued with just 2% left on her phone battery.
Mazal Tazazo , 35, an Ethiopian-Israeli social worker and architect and mother who witnessed her friends killed beside her while her legs were bound up. Enduring a serious head and hand head injury, she faked her own death to avoid being taken as a hostage.
Remo Salman El-Hozayel , 37, a Muslim-Israeli Bedouin police officer who fortuitously arrived early for his shift at the Nova Peace Festival, rescuing over 200 partygoers to safety by driving them to a nearby greenhouse.
As the mastermind behind the virtual reality experience, Palmach explains the impact that Be The Witness has had since its launch in May this year and the importance the youth of today will play in the future: “Israel’s image has faced significant challenges, and the situation is not improving. Nevertheless, we remain steadfast in our commitment not just to military defend, but to safeguarding the West.”
“We are a nation grounded in the values of peace and life and we will do what it takes to ensure everyone in the world does not suffer at the hands of terrorism as the Israelis have,” he says. “However, we cannot achieve this alone. Our investment in education is an investment in the future, and today’s university students are tomorrow’s leaders. We recognize the importance of guiding them toward understanding the complexities of our world.
“Unfortunately, many students have been swayed by misleading narratives this past year, but we will not abandon them. Through education and empathy, we can help them realize that by combating terrorism in the Middle East, we are ultimately protecting their future in the West.”
